If, any person commits any of the following offences with respect to a cab, namely :—

(a)hires a cab, knowing or having reason to believe that he cannot pay the lawful fare, or with intent to avoid payment of the lawful fare ;or

(b)fraudulently endeavours to avoid payment of a fare lawfully due from him ; or

(c)having failed or refused to pay a fare lawfully due from him, either refuses to give to the driver an address at which he can be found, or, with intent to deceive, gives a false address,he shall be liable on summary conviction to pay, in addition to the lawful fare, a fine not exceeding forty shillings, or, in the discretion of the court, to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding fourteen days; and the whole or any part of any fine imposed may be applied in compensation to the driver.

Can I ask for some clarification and any advice you may wish to give

Also Jas, the officer accuses the driver of holding the passengers ‘captive’, what is the driver supposed to do in order to obtain payment? one passenger claims ‘we’re free to walk away’, on top of the pressure of over saturation in the market whereby Uber drivers are allowed to illegally ply for hire unchallenged are we now supposed to provide a free service?

We are also hearing increasing incidents of passengers ‘attempting’ to pay by credit card, I use the word loosely as it’s becoming obvious they are aware of no funds in accounts, what happens in these situations?

I’m sure you’ll appreciate, honest men & women are driving Hackney Carriages in order to provide for their families, would it be unreasonable to expect some level of protection?

After a highly engaged with, poll plus much publicity about the devastation to local businesses, we can finally announce the results for the consultation on the implementation of the CS9 cycle highway western extension.

The poll was very simple and asked readers, "Should the Cycle Super Highway be built," referring to, of course, the contentious CS9.

Here is the breakdown of answers, they are as follow:

An overwhelming 73% (6535) of respondents answered "no" and only 14% (1296) said yes.

However, yet another 13% (1151) were pro CS9, if the current plans were reworked.

But even if you add the two together, it the nos still have it by a massive 3 to 1.

Mind you, TfL haven't manipulated the results yet.

26 people answered "not bothered" and 2 more replied that they hadn't heard of CS9. But with just under 10,000 replies the not bothered or the haven't heard won't make any impact on the result.

Friday, March 30, 2018

While the Taxi trades largest representative group advocates a policy of wait and see, Uber has been busy seeking to improve the governance of its UK operations, hiring Laurel Powers-Freeling, an experienced board director, as its UK chair.

It has recently been exposed by journalist Tim Fenton that Uber have been operating illegally in London, with the full support of TfL, who have covered up the fact that unlicensed Holland based UberBV dispatch all Uber journeys in the UK.

TfL repeatedly refuse to answer questions about UberBV.

Uber - It’s Still Illegal Says Tim Fenton's Zelo Street.

While London’s taxi and private hire trades wait for the appeal from driver and rider matching service Uber to be heard, the PR onslaught has continued. Uber has told anyone who will listen - mostly its cheerleaders at the piss-poor Evening Standard - that it has reformed itself. Gone are the bad old days of modern-day robber baron Travis Kalanick, and in has come a desire to work with laws and regulations, not disregard them.

Uber is in the middle of a battle to regain its licence to operate in London, with an appeal hearing scheduled in June. But while Uber London Ltd are on the ropes, representation from London Taxi United Trade Group (UTG) appears to have stalled.

The company was stripped of its operators licence, pending an appeal, after Transport for London declared it "not fit and proper" amid concerns over issues including the way it reported criminal offences involving Uber drivers. But inaction from the UTG is allowing Uber to cover its back.

Uber have also hired an army of advisers, including a regulatory consultancy set up by the former boss of Ofcom, to aid its appeal against the loss of one of its most lucrative licences globally.

Uber alleges it has about 40,000 drivers in London (although a large portion of this number work in towns outside of London -with full knowledge of TfLTPH- after being licensed by TfL), and is used by about 3.5 million customers nationwide, but its rise has sparked the most significant backlash to date, being a major champion of the "gig economy".

The company has also seen its ability to operate in dozens of other major cities around the world hampered by regulatory objections. Uber policy of "it's easier to seek forgiveness than permission" has now worn thin.

Many hurdles have threaten Uber's chances of attaining a premium valuation in the stock market flotation that Mr Khosrowshahi indicated is likely within 18 months.

Earlier this week, Uber Technologies submitted an application for a European payments processing licence, seeking to accelerate its diversification into a broad range of consumer-facing services across Europe.

Uber has applied to the Dutch central bank for an e-money licence that will enable it to streamline its payment processes across businesses such as its core ride-hailing app and its fast-growing UberEats food delivery venture.

Sources say they are attempting to become classified as a legitimate financial institution, being handled by subsidiary Uber payments BV.

The company, which is also reeling from the death of pedestrian caused by one of its self-driving vehicles in the US state of Arizona, is hunting a non-executive director to serve on the board of the new unit. The family of the pedestrian have been bought off with an out of court settlement.

An Uber spokesperson confirmed: "We have submitted an application for an e-money licence in the Netherlands, where 'Uber's international headquarters' is based.

"We are constantly expanding the range of products we offer and improving the experience for those who use our apps. The way we handle payments is an important part of that.

"An e-money licence will enable us to support the continued innovation and growth of our business in Europe by streamlining our payment processes."

This is another story where the media have tried to blur the lines between Uber sex crimes and black cab drivers. The Liverpool Echo insisted in going with the headline "Private Hire TAXI Driver", even though they know the assault was committed by a minicab driver.

Below is the story they way they should have told it ....

Married dad-of-two Khaldon Mohammed failed in a bid to have his rape conviction overturned

A Liverpool minicab driver, who forced a male passenger to perform a sex act as he drove, has failed in a bid to clear his name.

Married dad-of-two Khaldon Mohammed previously claimed that his customer initiated sexual activity but was found guilty of rape in January 2017 and jailed for six-and-a-half years.

The 31-year-old, of Gwendoline Street in Toxteth, took his case to the Court of Appeal last week but failed to have his conviction overturned.

Although Mohammed pleaded not guilty after the incident in 2015, he was convicted after a jury heard of the victim’s distress in the moments afterwards, when he called a friend in hysterics.

The court heard the passenger got into Mohammed’s minicab in 2015 after a night out, and was drunk but “not so drunk that he did not know what he was doing.”

The man told police that Mohammed had initiated conversation, but the passenger could not hear from the back so was invited to climb into the front passenger seat.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said: “The usual banter took a strange and what is clearly now a sinister turn, because the defendant started to ask him about his sexual orientation and came out with the question ‘do you like d***?’”

He said the journey continued, before Mohammed “suddenly” unzipped his jeans, “pulled” the man’s head down and “forced him” to perform a sex act.

Mr Gibson said the driver pushed the victim away when they stopped at red traffic lights, because people were around, before pulling his head down again.

He said after Mohammed finished, the journey ended and the man got out and ran into his home.

His lawyers claimed at an appeal hearing that fresh evidence from another Liverpool minicab driver cast doubt on the safety of the jury’s guilty verdict.

The other driver told of having picked up a male passenger - with the same name as Mohammed’s victim - and being offered oral sex as payment.

When shown pictures of the complainant in Mohammed’s case, he said he recognised him as the passenger who offered him the sexual favour.

But returning to court today to deliver their judgment, three top judges refused Mohammed’s bid to appeal his conviction.

Ruling on the case, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Judge Anthony Leonard QC, said the new witness had only had a “fleeting glance” of his passenger.

And there had been a gap of at least 19 months between him picking up the man and being shown the photo of Mohammed’s victim.

The judge said: “Each of the three members of this court takes the view that the fresh evidence raises no reasonable doubt as to the guilt of Khaldon Mohammed.”

The prosecution case was “strong”, based on lies by Mohammed in his police interview and the improbability of him allowing himself to receive oral sex “out of curiosity”.

He added: “The distressed state of the complainant very shortly afterwards made for a formidable case, even against a defendant of good character.”

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Germany's highest court said on Thursday that taxi-hailing app Mytaxi was allowed to offer discounts because it was not subject to the same pricing rules as taxi companies, overturning a lower court ruling.

The app "is itself not a taxi company, to which fixed prices would apply. It only acts as an agent for taxi orders that are independently carried out by taxi companies," the Federal Court of Justice said in a statement.

The ruling comes as a victory for Mytaxi, a day after parent Daimler and peer BMW announced plans to merge their units offering new services such as taxi-hailing, car sharing and electric vehicle charging.

The case had been brought by German taxi operator group Taxi Deutschland, which offers an app that competes with Mytaxi and which had said Mytaxi's discounts undercut official taxi fares.

Mytaxi had offered cab rides for half the regular price in several German cities if customers paid electronically instead of in cash. It paid the difference to the full fare itself, minus a commission fee.

Also, it had distributed vouchers that could be used toward taxi fares.

A lower court in Frankfurt had ruled in 2016 that the discounts were illegal, saying they were an "unfair commercial practice".

But the supreme court said on Thursday it saw no reason to limit competition among agents relaying orders to taxi companies.

Taxi companies still received the full fare under the discount scheme, and Mytaxi's services did not interfere with the normal functioning of the taxi market, it said.

Also, the price cuts had only been available in some cities and only for a limited period of time, which meant they did not crowd out competitors.

Coventry is to become the epicentre of the taxi world after it was announced the MetroCab will also be produced in the city.

The Zero Emission Electric Taxi will roll off at the production line at a new CAD CAM Automotive(CCA) factory to be built somewhere in the city.

It means the MetroCab will join the London Electric Vehicle Company’s TXe London taxi, which is being made in Ansty, with both zero-emissions taxis competing to be the cab driver’s vehicle of choice in London and around the world.

The MetroCab will be built at a new factory on the back of a £100m investment from CCA’s Chinese owners Red Sun Group.

CCA, which was founded in 1999, currently employs 220 staff at its Holbrooks Lane plant. The new complex will be developed at a different site in the city.

A small fleet of new Metrocabs were operated by Comcab in London and given a massive vote of confidence

As well as producing the MetroCab on the Ecotive Vehicle Platform, Red Sun Group’s investment also represents a vote of confidence in the specialised work CCA does for growing Coventry car maker Jaguar Land Rover.

It provides lightweight aluminium bodyshells for Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore.

The Ecotive Vehicle Platform on which the MetroCab is based is produced by Surrey-based firm Ecotive Limited.

Yang Shou Hai, president of Red Sun Group, said: “I have always been driven by applying new technologies to provide better products and reduce the impact on our environment.

“This is another strong step in Red Sun’s stated ambition to becoming China and the world’s pioneer in new technology, independent innovation and industrial models.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

A Slovak court has ordered Uber to suspend its operations in the country, a court spokesman said on Tuesday, responding to an action by taxi drivers who say the ride-hailing service represents unfair competition.

Though the decision came into effect on March 6 it was announced only on Tuesday and Uber services were still available in the Slovak capital Bratislava.

"The defendant is obliged to refrain from allowing people who do not meet legal requirements (...) to carry out taxi services in Slovakia," court spokesman Pavol Adamciak said.

The Bratislava-based Association of certified taxi drivers filed the lawsuit in January, arguing Uber drivers do not meet the requirements for professional taxi drivers and the cars do not meet the safety and regulatory requirements for professional transport services.

Uber in Slovakia declined to comment until it received the court decision.

Uber has faced regulatory and legal setbacks around the world amid opposition from traditional taxi services.

The European Union's top court said in a landmark ruling in December that Uber should be classified as a transport service and regulated like other taxi operators.

Meanwhile......in London:

Last year in London, TfL deemed Uber unfit to run a taxi service and stripped it of its license to operate. Uber is appealing against the decision.

We’ve been informed that the Uber’s appeal will not be heard until after the workers rights case. This could mean the case dragging in till mid 2019

In the last two weeks, it has emerged the TfL licensed Uber London Ltd, are not and have not been dispatching jobs to drivers. Emails obtains by FOI request show that all journeys have been dispatched by an unlicensed Dutch company... Uber BV.

Emails published on Tim Fenton’s Zelo Street Blog show that top officials at TfL have known about this illegal activity since 2013, yet have repeatedly failed to act, sweeping scandal after scandal under the carpet (13,000 Fake DBS certificates- fake medicals- on off insurance- no landline).

Monday, March 26, 2018

A taxi driver who drove two girls to a police station after they refused to pay him is devastated after being accused of kidnapping them on Facebook.

The mother of one of the girls in Hull posted a picture of Yakup Kahramanog, 42, online and he quickly began getting threats and abuse.

Taxis drivers are advised to drive passengers who refuse to pay their fairs directly to a police station but the backlash against Mr Kahramanog has left him considering giving up his job.

He told the Hull Daily Mail: ‘This is a really horrible situation to be in, it’s libellous. There are thousands of people on Facebook who have seen the post and I feel like I am being judged by them all because it has got everywhere.

‘I don’t want to go to work at night now, I am even thinking of leaving the taxi job and selling my car. I just don’t know what could happen to me.

‘How can I work confidently when I know someone who has seen me on Facebook could get in my car and attack me?’

Mr Kahramanog picked the girls up in west Hull at around 3.30am on Tuesday and drove them towards their homes, but they aroused suspicion by taking their shoes off and whispering to each other.

Yakup Kahramanog fears he will be attacked (Picture)

He asked them for £12, but they could only offer him £1. Then he asked them to get their parents to pay or to go to a cash machine, after they refused he drove to the police station.

London's congestion charge, introduced in 2003, has actually increased diesel pollution in the capital according to university researchers.

Scientists from Lancaster University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology presented a study on the matter at the Royal Economic Society's annual conference.

The study found that since the introduction of the charge, nitrogen dioxide levels in the city have increased by 20 per cent.

Nitrogen dioxide is a common emission from diesel vehicle exhausts, and is deemed to be so harmful that the World Health Organisation has classified that as carcinogenic, due to evidence they cause lung cancer. The study suggests that the discouragement of passenger cars could have pushed commuters into heavily polluting diesel buses and taxis.

These vehicles are exempt from paying the congestion charge, which currently costs £11.50 per day.

A parliamentary enquiry last year called air pollution in the capital a 'public health emergency', and as a result the city of London added an extra charge for owners of older, more polluting vehicles. The T-Charge covers any diesel vehicle which was built before Euro 4 emissions standards and costs an extra £10 on top of the existing £11.50 congestion charge.

John Heywood, lead author of the study, said: "Exempting buses and taxis meant that these diesel vehicles drove many more miles as a result of the congestion charge as commuters transferred out of personal cars into these forms of public transport. This reflected an explicit policy to expand public transport provision in the zone.

"As a consequence, the fuel mix of vehicles in the zone moved toward diesel . . . The reduction in other pollutants has to be weighed against negative health effects associated with a marked increase in NO2 emissions."

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT:

Funny, this commissioned report says nothing about the plague of extra private hire licenses dished out like sweets by TfL to anyone with the cash!

London's Private hire fleet has gone from 30,000 vehicles to 120,000 in just 6 years, as TfL have used private hire vehicle licenses as a cash cow to top up their coffers.

The report also makes no mention of the fact that TfL never promoted a move to LPG powered Taxis, leaving Taxi drivers with no option other than to purchase diesel vehicles.

The move away from CO2 producing older engines (CO2 virtually harmless to health) propagated the rise in NOx and Particle Matter production (which is dangerous to health and is alleged to be responsible for many thousand preventable deaths).

Another question then to TfL....why was no research done on this subject?

A simple, affordable and apparently foolproof solution to the problem that has led to the current worldwide ‘demonisation’ of diesel engines — emissions of life-limiting NOx — has been discovered by a team of British automotive research specialists at Loughborough University.

The system, called ACCT (ammonia creation and conversion technology), has reached such a promising stage that the creators are being besieged by car manufacturers, component suppliers and even owners of large diesel fleets that have heard about the innovation and are desperate to use it to solve what they see as motoring’s most urgent problem.

The team — led by Graham Hargrave, professor of optical diagnostics, and Jonathan Wilson, research associate — has been working on exhaust missions for many years but achieved its breakthrough in the past two.

From its current state, ACCT should be fairly easy to engineer, the team believes, and could reach production within two years "with the right support”.

In essence, the system converts AdBlue, the universally available urea-based after-treatment, into a special ammonia-rich ‘ACCT fluid’ under accurately controlled conditions in an exhaust-mounted chamber.

Like current selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, it then uses freed ammonia “literally to rip NOx apart”, leaving only nitrogen and water. The crucial difference between the two systems is that ACCT fluid keeps working at high efficiency in low exhaust temperature conditions that challenge current systems.

Preliminary tests on a city-based stop-start Skoda taxi indicate that ACCT can capture 98% of exhaust-borne NOx, compared with 60% for the same car running a conventional EU6 system — even before researchers had a chance to ‘tune’ the ACCT system for the best performance.

Experts with knowledge of the development are starting to talk in terms of “virtually zero-emission” diesel engines and citing ACCT as being even more important than the arrival of the common-rail diesel.

In the past decade, NOx has become an infamous problem. It springs from the fact that diesels become more efficient as they run hotter, but this heat increases their NOx output. The effect has led to rapidly rising awareness of NOx’s detrimental effect on health; current European research suggests it shortens 71,000 lives a year.

Since 2014, the practice of injecting diesel exhausts with AdBlue via SCR exhaust catalysts has proved effective in most situations and has dramatically lowered average NOx outputs. But, as the Loughborough researchers point out, gaps in SCR’s effectiveness remain – notably when low exhaust temperatures prevent complete decomposition of AdBlue, such as when a vehicle is idling in traffic, especially in stop-start conditions. NOx outputs rise when SCR doesn’t function well, and that's the root of recent reports that even new-car exhausts sometimes produce multiples of permitted NOx levels.

As Hargrave explained, there’s a deep irony in this. While NOx has hit the headlines, CO2 continues to kill the planet. “NOx is serious,” he said, “but it’s really a point-source problem. It only matters in a tiny minority of locations.

"Solve it and you can get on with reducing CO2, which is important everywhere.”

Because of concerns over NOx, Europe’s diesel market is in near chaos. Sales of oil-burning cars have collapsed by 20%, putting pressure on margins and infrastructure. A swing to more CO2-heavy petrol vehicles means CO2 targets are being missed — at the very moment these targets are about to tighten.

For light commercial vehicles, there’s no realistic prospect of reducing diesel use in the short term. Market experts don’t believe buyers will entertain a rapid change to downsized petrol engines or hybrids. For heavy goods vehicles, the situation is much worse.

Whereas car engines are ‘dialled back’ on NOx and need only light doses of AdBlue, trucks need much more.

In cold-exhaust conditions (winter, for example), the incomplete breakdown of AdBlue leaves damaging and almost immovable exhaust deposits in complex exhaust systems that reduce power and even immobilise trucks completely. Understandably, the market in defeat devices for HGVs is lively.

The Loughborough team says it now needs a heavyweight technology partner to take ACCT to production but is wary of ceding valuable intellectual property rights cheaply.

Negotiations between the university’s IP specialists and prospective partners are in full swing. “Our sense is that we need a major supplier rather than a single manufacturer,” said Hargrave.

Whatever ACCT’s route to market, an increasing number of potential users are desperate to see its progress. It could lead to a whole new lease of life for diesels.

How it happened

If ACCT changes diesels, as seems likely, it will be because Wilson decided to do a PhD at Loughborough University. Hargrave, his professor, explains: “We’ve known for ages there was an NOx problem with AdBlue and low temperatures. Jonathan had an idea that could solve it but needed the opportunity to develop it, so we went to the university and organised an internal scholarship. He’d worked on a similar topic through his undergraduate years.

"That work made it clear that if anyone was going to solve this problem, it’d be Jonathan. So we said here’s the lab and the money. Just go and make it work. And he did…”

Both firms describe the deal as a win for their passengers, but analysts warn it could mean higher prices.

Grab is South East Asia's most popular ride-sharing firm with millions of users across eight countries.

Under the terms of the deal, Uber will take a 27.5% stake in Singapore-based Grab. Uber's chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, will also join Grab's board.

The value of the deal has not been made public.

Rivalry has driven down costs for passengers but dented companies' profits

Grab's chief executive Anthony Tan said the deal "marks the beginning of a new era" in which the merged business would be better placed to serve customers.

Uber's Mr Khosrowshahi said the deal would "help us double down on our plans for growth as we invest heavily in our products and technology".

The deal marks Uber's third retreat after it withdrew from China in 2016 and sold its Russia business to local firm Yandex last year.

Mr Khosrowshahi has been preparing the firm for an initial public offering in 2019.

Uber invested $700m in its Southeast Asia business and another $2bn in China before it sold its operations there.

In November, Mr Khosrowshahi, said the company's Asian operations were not going to be "profitable any time soon".

Uber is keen to push the message that this isn't a retreat from South East Asia - that instead, this is a merger of equals - a partnership of sorts.

But while it's true that Uber does get a sizeable stake in Grab, it is hard to ignore that this is the third market it is pulling out of. First China, then Russia - now South East Asia.

Look closely at the internal email that Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi sent his staff announcing the deal, and you can see a hint of an acknowledgement that perhaps their global strategy of barging into overseas markets isn't going as well as Uber had planned.

"One of the potential dangers of our global strategy," he writes, "Is that we take on too many battles across too many fronts with too many competitors."

This deal does beg the question what does Uber do next in Asia - because it is only really Japan, South Korea and India that it now operates in - and in all of those markets, it is facing competition of some sort, home grown or otherwise.

If this defeat at Grab's hands is anything to go by - Uber best be prepared for a tough battle ahead.

Less choice?

Last year, Uber lost $4.5bn (£3.2bn) - and its chief executive - as it underwent a fundamental shake-up following a harassment scandal.

But some fear that its withdrawal from South East Asia could result in higher prices for users there.

"Industry consolidation will mean fewer choices for commuters and fares are likely to trend higher over time," said Corrine Png, a transport analyst from Singapore-based research firm Crucial Perspective.

Grab

Grab has operations in eight countries across Asia

Competition in the ride-hailing sector has been fierce, resulting in discounts and promotions offered to riders and drivers reducing profit margins.

But consolidation in the industry was widely expected after Japan's Softbank Group made a large investment in Uber last year.

SoftBank is a major investor in several of Uber's rivals including Grab, China's Didi Chuxing and India's Ola.

It is believed to have pushed for consolidation in order to improve revenues.

Grab currently operates in eight countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The deal - which is yet to be approved by local regulators - includes the sale of all of Uber's operations in the region, including its key food delivery service Uber Eats.

As a result of the merger, the GrabFood service will expand from two to four South East Asian countries by next quarter, Grab said.

The company said the deal would help it move towards profitability, and would also help to increase "adoption of the GrabPay mobile wallet and support Grab's growing Financial Services platform".

Saturday, March 24, 2018

If ever there was an article that alleged the Mayor & TfLTPH are in the pockets of Uber... it’s this!

What’s happened to the London’s clean air policy when it comes to Uber's main stock Prius then?

Where are the Clean up London's air campaign protestors?

The article below from Autocar.co.uk:

"New CO2 figures for the updated Toyota Priushave pushed the car out of the London Congestion Charge exemption zone, which dictates that cars must produce less than an average of 75g/km CO2 in order to enter the area free of charge".

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesman confirmed to Autocar that it won't be re-evaluating existing cars, however, the main stock in Uber's arsenal, the Prius, which is now listed as producing 78g/km of CO2 according to Europe's latest emissions testing procedure, will keep its free pass into the capital's Congestion Charge zone even in its latest form.

The adjusted numbers are a result of changes to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test. European regulators are now using this evolved process that adopts some parts of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which will come fully into force next year.

It's a tougher test, therefore it has edged the Prius range's official CO2 output to 78g/km for the most efficient variant on 15in wheels, representing an increase of 5g/km. Models equipped with 17in wheels now have CO2 emissions of 82g/km, up from 76g/km.

Everyone is equal under the law, it’s just that Uber appear to be more equal than others.

Friday, March 23, 2018

On the 23rd of February the CMT device and meter were both removed from the aforementioned Taxi, reg:@@@@@@.

The removal being carried out at Taxi World, Tottenham Hale.

Although CMT’s property has already been removed, I read with interest your accompanying letter. For the record, I consider CMT- the payment system provider- to have violated the terms laid out in the Consumer Rights Act 2015

The equipment supplied was intended for a particular purpose but failed in its consistency to meet that requirement. Had it been fit for that specified purpose I would have been contented to process all payments through the CMT payment system. I was, however, not prepared to accept its continual malfunctioning.

I have accepted Credit Card payments for five years prior to the credit card mandate. In fact, it is my preferred method of payment, but the fallibility of your system makes the service provider appear both unreliable and unprofessional.

To date, I consider CMT to owe me within the region of £120 in lost revenue due fo the system freezing and subsequently rendering the transaction incomplete.

In closing, you’re welcome to inform TfL that I have substituted my fixed terminal with a handheld card reader but the information will be secondary as I have already done so.

I trust you have now updated your files accordingly.

Regards

Sean Paul Day

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT:

This is not a great PR expose for CMT, it's not the way the trade expects to be bullied.

Most of the drivers I've spoken to, like myself feel they have been mis-sold this CNT contract.

When I had my equipment fitted by Taxi World at Mitre Way East Acton, I was asked to enter my bank details on a form so they could pay me. I was then asked to sign the form on the bottom and at no time was I told I was signing a contract.

I was never asked to read terms and conditions and I was never give or sent a copy of a contract.

When I asked the fitters if there was any minimum usage stipulation, I was told there was none.

Personally I have been very happy with my equipment having only had one experience of no signal (Bromley by Bow). Until now that is:

I find the new tip option on the contactless payments annoying, time consuming and not worth the extra few pence it brings in.

I've only had the upgrade 2 days and have already had to compromise my safety by getting in the back to sort out the machine 3 times.

Also m not happy with CMT sticking ArrowPay stickers on my already crowded front and rear windscreens. Do they really expect me to encourage my cash customers to pay using ArrowPay so CMT can then grab 3.75% +20p of my payment???

For far too long the trade has been bullied by garages, manufacturers, regulators, councils and trade suppliers...great after sales service is almost an impossibility to find in this trade.

I've used the same garage (North West Taxis) for over 15 years because I get great service and I trust them. Same with Hendon tyres.

If businesses want to attract and keep trade, it should be done by offering a first class service, a keen pricing structure and great after sales service. Not by trapping drivers into a contract they have no idea they've signed!